--- description: Aftershocks were felt Saturday near North Korea’s nuclear test site where they conducted a large test in September title: Aftershocks Felt Near North Korean Nuclear Test Site image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt807700722ca6e41b/6988f481bc6cfc315a3e445a/north-korea-nuclear-test-site-aftershocks.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [North Korea](/tag/north-korea/) ## North Korea Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Tremors Detected Near North Korean Nuclear Test Site Likely Aftershocks by [Lisa Marie Segarra](/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 9, 2017 8:20 PM CUT  This undated picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on March 7, 2017 shows the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army (KPA) during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea. This undated picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on March 7, 2017 shows the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army (KPA) during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea.STR—AFP/Getty Images by [Lisa Marie Segarra](/author/lisa-marie-segarra/) ## Lisa Marie Segarra Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 9, 2017 8:20 PM CUT Tremors were detected near North Korea’s nuclear test site Saturday, but they are likely aftershocks from [the large nuclear test conducted in September](http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14053/north-korea-has-executed-its-sixth-nuclear-test-updating-live "undefined"), officials said. The test, which took place Sept. 3, was the country’s sixth and largest underground nuclear test, [according to ](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-tremors/aftershocks-likely-from-september-test-detected-from-north-korea-nuclear-site-usgs-idUSKBN1E30LD "undefined")[_Reuters._ ](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-israel-gaza/palestinians-to-snub-pence-during-visit-over-jerusalem-move-idUSKBN1E308K "undefined") “They’re probably relaxation events from the sixth nuclear test. When you have a large nuclear test, it moves the earth’s crust around the area, and it takes a while for it to fully subside. We’ve had a few of them since the sixth nuclear test,” a [U.S. Geological Survey](http://time.com/4949931/will-a-catastrophic-earthquake-strike-the-u-s/ "undefined") official told _Reuters._ There have been a number of tremors felt in the area since the test, prompting experts to think that the mountainous area may have been damaged as a result of the tests, _Reuters_ reported. Pyongyang claimed that they tested a hydrogen bomb, and has suggested that its next test would be conducted above ground. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has also said that all of the United States is[ now within the country’s range.](http://time.com/5044526/north-korea-missile-could-reach-washington/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5057490/north-korea-aftershocks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5057490/north-korea-aftershocks/"},"headline":"Tremors Detected Near North Korean Nuclear Test Site Likely Aftershocks","datePublished":"2017-12-09T20:20:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T18:30:47.241Z","description":"The aftershocks could signal damage in the nearby mountainous area","url":"https://time.com/5057490/north-korea-aftershocks/","keywords":["North Korea","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt807700722ca6e41b/6988f481bc6cfc315a3e445a/north-korea-nuclear-test-site-aftershocks.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lisa Marie Segarra","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/lisa-marie-segarra/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt807700722ca6e41b/6988f481bc6cfc315a3e445a/north-korea-nuclear-test-site-aftershocks.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TOPSHOT-NKOREA-JAPAN-MISSILE","caption":"TOPSHOT-NKOREA-JAPAN-MISSILE","creditText":"STR—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/north-korea/","name":"North Korea"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5057490/north-korea-aftershocks/","name":"Tremors Detected Near North Korean Nuclear Test Site Likely Aftershocks"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"North Korea Says Its Sixth Nuclear Test Was a Missile-Ready Hydrogen Bomb","description":"North Korea carried out a sixth nuclear test on Sunday morning, triggering a 5.7 magnitude tremor in the northeast of the country, which the rogue state claimed was caused by the detonation of a hydrogen bomb","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/x2fmXe91/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-09-03T17:03:10.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/x2fmXe91.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5057490/north-korea-aftershocks/","duration":"PT1M13S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5057490/north-korea-aftershocks/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```